Tonight at the GUSB meeting, it was clarified that the tie vote at the last board meeting to follow the CDC mask order was not procedurally correct, as no motion is required for the school district and its board and staff to comply with law. This was stated with a Board Chair’s ruling and the appeal of the decision failed 7-1. This means that GPS will follow the CDC order regarding masks on our buses (as this CDC order supersedes policy). The following is more information about the order and how GPS will be implementing it, effective immediately.
On January 29, 2021, CDC issued an Order that required face masks to be worn by all people while on public transportation. This order was pursuant to President’s Executive Order 13998, Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel. This order requires masks on public and/or private school buses.
Due to the President’s order and the CDC requirement, masks will be required with all exceptions for all individuals utilizing the Glendive Public Schools transportation program, including all extracurricular bus trips. Masks will become optional on buses as soon as this CDC Order is lifted.
If your student utilizes the GPS transportation services, please have your child bring a mask to wear while on the bus. As a reminder, food is not allowed to be eaten on the bus. A student may drink water if it is in a bottle.
Please note the following exceptions to the CDC order:
While in indoor areas of conveyances or while indoors at transportation hubs, people are not required to wear a mask under the following circumstances:
- while eating, drinking, or taking medication for brief periods of time;
- while communicating for brief periods of time with a person who is hearing impaired when the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication;
- if, on an aircraft, wearing oxygen masks is needed because of loss of cabin pressure or other event affecting aircraft ventilation;
- if unconscious (for reasons other than sleeping), incapacitated, unable to be awakened, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance;
- when necessary to temporarily lower or remove the mask to verify one’s identity such as during Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening or when asked to do so by the ticket or gate agent or any law enforcement official;
- when experiencing difficulty breathing or shortness of breath or feeling winded, until able to resume normal breathing with the mask; when vomiting until vomiting ceases; or if wearing a mask interferes with necessary medical care such as supplemental oxygen administered via an oxygen mask.
The following categories of people continue to be exempt from the requirement to wear a mask:
- A child under the age of 2 years;
- A person with a disability who cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask, because of the disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.);
- A person for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to workplace health, safety, or job duty as determined by the relevant workplace safety guidelines or federal regulations.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/face-masks-public-transportation.html